Alizé Pharma III presents preclinical results from its I-HBD1 program at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

Alizé Pharma III SAS, an Alizé Pharma group company specialized in the development of biopharmaceuticals to treat metabolic disorders and rare diseases, today announces it will present preclinical results from its I-HBD1 program in osteoporosis during the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) in Atlanta on September 16-19, 2016.

Alizé’s I-HBD1 program focuses on a new peptide derived from a physiological protein, IGFBP-2 (Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-2), as a new bone anabolic agent. Scientific work led by Dr David Clemmons from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA) and Dr Clifford Rosen from the University of Maine (USA) has established that IGFBP2 plays a key physiological role in the differentiation of osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone formation. I-HBD1, a short peptide fragment derived from IGFBP-2, replicates the anabolic effects of IGFBP-2 on bone. It is intended to be developed as a new therapeutic approach for osteoporosis and some rare metabolic diseases associated with impaired bone formation.

Alizé Pharma III is conducting the I-HBD1 project in collaboration with New Paradigm Therapeutics, a spin-off company from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill founded by Dr. David Clemmons.

Key data, to be presented at the ASBMR Annual Meeting, indicate that I-HBD1 increased bone mass in ovariectomized rats; a model of post-menopausal osteoporosis. It was more potent than parathyroid hormone (PTH), the current reference bone anabolic agent.

“The preclinical results of our I-HBD1 program indicate that this new and unique mechanism of action, based on the most recent scientific knowledge in bone physiology, has a strong impact on new bone formation in a model of osteoporosis,” said Thierry Abribat, TAB Consulting, president of Alizé Pharma III. “This clearly gives I-HBD1 and its analogs the potential to be developed as a new therapeutic class in osteoporosis and other bone diseases where new safe and potent bone anabolic drugs are needed.”

The I-HBD1 program is at the lead optimization stage. Alizé Pharma III plans to enter a stabilized and potent I-HBD1 peptide in development in the coming months. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, over 200 million patients worldwide live with osteoporosis. The disease causes almost 9 million fractures each year. In 2014 the global market for osteoporosis drugs was estimated at over $8.3 billion (€7.43bn), with significant growth expected in the coming years. The current treatments are mostly antiresorptive therapies; there is an unmet need for safer, more cost-effective anabolic therapies that are able to build new bone for these patients.

About Alizé Pharma

Alizé Pharma is a group of companies specialized in the development of innovative biopharmaceutical drugs, proteins and peptides for the treatment of metabolic diseases and rare diseases. The group is managed by a team of drug development experts and by a board of directors with a breadth of international experience. Its business strategy is to advance programs based on medical innovation to the clinical stage and establish partnerships with pharmaceutical companies to secure both short and long-term revenue streams. Since its creation the group has raised over €15 million ($16.8m) from private and institutional investors. The current product portfolio is the following.

AZP-531 is a stabilized peptide analog of unacylated ghrelin, a physiological gastrointestinal peptide. This program is in Phase II clinical development for the treatment of Prader-Willi syndrome and has potential in other indications, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.

I-HBD1 program focuses on a new peptide derived from a physiological protein, called IGFBP-2 (Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-2), as a new bone anabolic agent to be developed in osteoporosis and some rare metabolic diseases associated with impaired bone formation. This I-HBD1 program is at the lead optimization stage.